Decorator fastener attaching device



July 6, 1965 s. T. SHEARS 3,192,590

DECORATOR FASTENER ATTACHING DEVICE Filed Dec. 28, 1962 Inveni'or Siuazi T. Shears,

United States Patent 3,192,590 BECORATOR FASTENER ATTACHENG DEVTCE Stuart T. Shears, Belmont, Mass, assignor to United-flan Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Filed Bee. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 248,134 2 Claims. (Cl. 24216) This invention relates to decorative attaching devices such as might be used to attach a snap fastener part in position upon a garment or other suitable article where a decorative part is desirable.

An object of the invention is to provide a decorative device that includes a decorative part and an attaching member assembled to provide a device wherein only the decorative part is exposed when the device is attached to a suitable article.

Another object of the invention is to provide a decorative attaching device whereby a snap fastener socket (01' stud) may be attached to a garment, or the like, by a simple two-piece construction easily assembled and wherein only the decorative part is visible when the device is in use.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged plan View of the attaching device as it appears when assembled to a support material;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of PEG. 1 and shows one form of a complete installation;

FIG. 3 is an edge view of the attaching device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the device shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a view showing portions of two assembly tools and the two parts of the decorative attaching device in the act of being assembled.

It is known in the art that ornaments of the general type illustrated and to be described have been sold in large quantities particularly for attaching snap fastener elements to clothing, etc. Those devices have usually been of a type which included an attaching part and an insert of mother-of-pearl, plastic or some other ornamental material, the insert being held in place by curling a rim and attaching member together.

There has been a desired for ornaments wherein the attaching parts would be concealed so that only the ornamental part would be exposed. The present invention accomplishes the desired result in a simple and inexpensive manner.

Referring now to the particular device, illustrated by the drawings, there is shown a decorative device including a decorative top part 1 and an attaching bottom part 2.

The part 1 may be made of any suitable decorative molded plastic material, mother-of-pea-rl, or any other material that will present a pleasing appearance, and that has an appealingly shaped body portion 3, and a projection 4 extending from beneath .the body portion 3.

The attaching part 2 is formed from metal and has a base portion dividedinto a ring-like portion 5 and a plurality of gripping fingers 6 extending from the inner edge of the ring-like portion 5. The dimensions of the base portion are no greater than the diameter of the body portion 3 of the top part 1 and therefore is concealed beneath it while the gripping fingers 6 engage the projection 4 and hold the parts in assembly. Attaching prongs 7 extend from the inner edge of the ring-like portion 5 from between the gripping fingers 6 and in a direction generally normal to the plane of the base portion, as shown in FIG. 5.

One construction of the attaching part 2, for easy attachment to the decorative part 1, is shown in FIG. 6. In this case the ring-like portion 5 is initially formed slight- 1y dished or tapered, and the sa ie is true of the arrangement of the gripping fingers 6. By this construction it is easy to assemble the parts 1 and 2 by placing them between suitable dies 8 and 9 (FIG. 6) and then moving the .dies toward each other. During this opera-tion the parts are pressed together, the ring-like portion being flattened, and the gripping fingers 6 are flattened, thereby causing the free ends of the fingers 6 to bite into the projection 4 of the decorative part 1 as clearly shown in FIG. 5. Thus, the parts 1 and 2 are easily, quickly and simply secured to each other so that the attaching part 1 will be concealed beneath the decorative pan 2.

An assembly, including the decorative fastener attaching device, is shown in PKG. 2. In this case the device is used inattaching a snap fastener socket member lit to a supportin material 11. The assembly may be a portion of a garment with the decorative part or" the device exposed at the outer surface of the material 11 while the socket member It is held in place on the under-side of the material 11 by the attaching prongs 7 which pass through the material 11 and are cur-led into engagement with an anvil portion 12 of the socket member 15 While there has been illustrated and described a particular decorative attaching device in combination with attaching a socket member to a portion of an article of clothing, or the like, it should be understood that the attaching device may be used in other installations and that the invention is best defined by the following claims.

d claim:

1. A decorative fastener attaching evice comprising, in combination, a decorative part and an attaching element assembled therewith, said decorative part having a body portion and a projection at a bottom face of the body portion, and said attaching element having a base portion located entirely beneath the body portion or" said decorative part and concealed when viewed from the top of said decorative part, separated individual gripping fingers formed as a part of said base portion from material taken inwardly of the periphery thereof, the ends of said fingers extending laterally into and gripping said projection on said decorative part to provide the only means for holding said decorative part and attaching element in assembly, and attaching means for engagement with a snap fastener and like part.

2. A decorative fastener attaching device comprising, in combination, a decorative part and an attaching element assembled therewith, said decorative part having a body portion and a projection at a bottom face of the body portion and said attaching element having a base portion located entirely beneath the body portion of said decorative part and having a ring-like peripheral portion, a plurality of gripping fingers extending from an inner periphery of said ring-like portion into gripping engagement with the projection of said decorative part to hold said decorative part and attaching element in assembly, and a plurality of attaching prongs extending from said ring-like portion between the gripping fingers for attaching the device through a suitable support to a fastener.

References [Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,368,878 2/21 Bandell 24 2,256,849 9/41 Purinton 24-217 2,318,950 5/43 Lar-mour 24--11 2,456,615 12/48 Berglund 264-273 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,623 12/04 Austria. 729,717 5/32 France.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

2. A DECORATIVE FASTENER ATTACHING DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A DECORATIVE PART AND AN ATTACHING ELEMENT ASSEMBLED THEREWITH, SAID DECORATIVE PART HAVING A BODY PORTION AND A PROJECTION AT A BOTTOM FACE OF THE BODY PORTION AND SAID ATTACHING ELEMENT HAVING A BASE PORTION LOCATED ENTIRELY BENEATH THE BODY PORTION OF SAID DECORATIVE PART AND HAVING A RING-LIKE PERIPHERAL PORTION, A PLURALITY OF GRIPPING FINGERS EXTENDING FROM AN INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID RING-LIKE PORTION INTO GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PROJECTION OF SAID DECORATIVE PART TO HOLD SAID DECORATIVE PART AND ATTACHING ELEMENT IN ASSEMBLY, AND A PLURALITY OF ATTACHING PRONGS EXTENDING FROM SAID RING-LIKE PORTION BETWEEN THE GRIPPING FINGERS FOR ATTACHING THE DEVICE THROUGH A SUITABLE SUPPORT TO A FASTENER. 